As much as our friends and relos try and gift us with the perfect items, unfortunately they don’t always get it right, leaving us with clothes and gadgets that are destined to collect dust under our beds forever.
WATCH BELOW: Gift wrapping hack
In our consumer-driven world, it’s becoming harder and harder to buy for people, who often seemingly have everything.
We’re also more accustomed to just buying things for ourselves, especially when free shipping and Black Friday/Cyber Monday sales are involved.
For these reasons, you’ll often catch us returning Christmas gifts, or asking tired shop assistants to print us a gift receipt to ensure our nearest and dearest have a shot at swapping our gift for something they actually want.
As we embark on our hectic Christmas shopping journeys over the next three weeks, here are some of the most-returned gifts to keep in mind and avoid, lest they end up collecting dust under someone else’s bed.
1. Chocolates
Wait, really? We’re guessing it’s the impersonal nature of the gift, but we’d probably honestly just eat it.
A box of chocolates does make for a good re-gift though, so if you get one in the work Kris Kringle, you can always pop it under the tree in case you forget someone on Christmas Day.
2. Beauty gift sets
Honestly, we get it. Most people who love skincare stick to a strict routine, and introducing new products around the holidays is not ideal. Purging skin for New Year’s Eve? We don’t think so.
3. Scented candles
Again, we’re guessing it’s the impersonal nature of this gift that makes it easy to palm off.
4. Clothes
Be wary with this one – it can be really hard to nail someone’s personal style, especially if they love fashion. Thankfully, we’ve come prepared, and you can check out some of our articles (here and here) for some style inspo before you get shopping for the Gen Z’s in your life.
5. Makeup
Honestly, not worth the risk. As with skincare, most gals know what works for them, and won’t want to risk irritating their skin or eyes. While some feel that gift cards might be a tad impersonal, we couldn’t agree less. $50 to spend at Mecca or Adore Beauty is all we want in life! Let us do the hard work for you.
In the end, gifting is personal, and you know your friends and family better than most. Just don’t be offended if they don’t love what you choose – it’s way too much pressure to nail it every year! But if you’re in need of a bit of help, suss out our Ultimate Teen Christmas Gift Guide for 2021, and Christmas Gift Ideas Your Besties Will *Actually* Love.
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